Saskatchewan’s attorney general has decided not to press charges against an RCMP officer who fractured a female hospital patient’s arm during a forceful arrest over a year ago. This choice was made despite the Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT) of the province determining that there were “reasonable grounds” to suspect the officer of committing assault causing bodily harm to the 38-year-old woman outside Melfort Hospital.
The SIRT report, released on Wednesday and dated Sept. 3, revealed that the Crown prosecutor handling the case informed the team in June that charges would not be pursued against the officer. Noel Busse, a spokesperson for the provincial Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, explained that different standards are applied to prosecutions by the ministry compared to SIRT’s analysis of incidents.
After a thorough review of the admissible evidence, available defenses, and the section of the Criminal Code pertaining to the reasonable use of force by police, Public Prosecutions concluded that there was no reasonable likelihood of a conviction based on the evidence gathered.
The incident occurred on July 2, 2025, when Melfort RCMP responded to a call at the hospital involving a woman receiving treatment for mental health issues who had left against medical advice. A struggle between the woman, dressed in a hospital gown, and the officer ensued in the hospital parking lot, resulting in the woman sustaining a fractured right humerus.
The SIRT report was based on footage from police body cameras, surveillance cameras in the parking lot, and interviews with witnesses, including another RCMP officer, a relative of the woman, and a hospital employee who alerted the police. The report noted that the officer used both hands to apply pressure to the woman’s arm, causing a visible break and displacement.
The report highlighted “significant issues,” including the officer’s demonstrable anger and applying pressure to the handcuffed arm, which seemed to exceed the standard of force reasonably necessary for the situation. It acknowledged the differing standards applied by SIRT and the Crown in determining potential offenses and pursuing charges.
As per the provisions of the Police Act, the matter will be forwarded to the RCMP and the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission for the RCMP (CRCC) for further review, with a recommendation for any appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Code of Conduct.
